I gave this talk back at the beginning of October, in my conference as a member of the ASPO-USA Board. This was only the second time that ASPO has had a significant talk about the connection between food and agriculture, so instead of trying to make claims about how this may play out, I focused on what we already know to be true. As you all probably know, I think that we’ve barely begun to plumb the depths of the connections between food and energy. I will say, if I ever give a talk there again, I’m asking not to go last! I was so tired I could barely see straight at the end of three days!

I apologize – I didn’t realize that ASPO would be publishing the slides in a video, so I didn’t put the titles in. The slides are on the sidebar, but it is presented awkwardly, also, since you have to keep clicking. That’s not my end of things, though.

onnection between food and agriculture, so instead of trying to make claims about how this may play out, I focused on what we already know to be true. As you all probably know, I think that we’ve barely begun to plumb the depths of the connections between food and energy. I will say, if I ever give a talk there again, I’m asking not

Waited ’til I got home to watch. You seemed nervous at first but soon attained your stride. Made some good points, presented some good information. Thing I wonder, though, is.. when do people start connecting the dots, begin putting all the tidbits together into a cogent picture, start realizing that the Problem is greater than the sum of all the component problems? When does the focus shift from this one issue here, that other issue there, and light on the real Issue of how all the constituent issues interact & synergize? As bad as the situation may seem, it’s actually worse. Probably much worse. The longer the reckoning’s postponed the more dire it becomes.

Great. Eating is an agricultural act – this phrase captures a feeling that can’t be captured through all of barrage of graphs and data. Great idea to end on that note.

I like how straightforward you are about not trying to draw any large solutions, but are presenting the problem as it stands (so much of this debate ends up getting caught in the details of HOW BAD things will be instead of recognizing how bad they already are).

I am also a bit scared to know how few people who are entering agriculture were raised on farms (myself included). To me, this seems like a grave mistake the baby boomer generation made – thinking they were making their children’s lives better than their own, but really making us less able to live safely in the world.

Enjoyed it very much and was actually disappointed it was so short :).

As they showed shots of the audience I wondered how many gardened/farmed, or have searched out local food. In other words how many of those ASPO in the know folks are in danger of food insecurity?

This is written not as a judgement call but more as a thought process on how most of us are not fully prepared and how its a bit unsettling that even some experts for lack of a better phrase, don’t practice all they preach.

Sharon, I concur with the point you made about how food and energy prices have recently gone hand in hand even though fairly little of our oil liquid production is used in the raising and processing of food.